(From company literature) SLIK The Professional-II. No compromises in a smaller package. Having the same heavy metal construction of THE PROFESSIONAL, THE PROFESSIONAL-II is a warhorse of a tripod that was created for the uncompromising professional that needs more portability. If your photography does not require as much height as THE PROFESSIONAL or THE PROFESSIONAL 4, this model will serve you well.

With professional features like worm gear elevation on the center column, all metal leg and fitting construction, and the ability to hold more than 15 pounds of properly balanced equipment, this tripod will give years of unyielding service. A maximum working height of 72.25 inches (that’s 6 feet) and a folded length of 37 inches, this tripod makes taking this kind of durability on the road just a little bit easier.

Every bit as important as the legs is the tripod head. THE PROFESSIONAL Pan Head was designed to work in consort with super duty THE PROFESSIONAL and THE PROFESSIONAL 4 models.

The solidly constructed 3-way pan head has the features that uncompromising photographers are looking for. Large built-in camera platform to handle the mount bases on 4x5 and 8x10 view cameras. The head has dual axis bubble levels for easy accurate leveling of your camera. The bubble levels are recessed in the camera platform to protect against being damage. This head has both large (3/8) and standard (1/4-20) threaded camera mounting posts. When one is not in use, the post fits into a socket in the side of the head where it is out of the way yet always available.

THE PROFESSIONAL Pan Head is available in two sizes, the smaller (stock number 619-715) has the same features as the standard but it scaled to work with THE PROFESSIONAL-II and is included when that tripod is purchased complete. Both heads can be uses on a variety of heavy tripods from other manufacturers as well.

Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: $330.00| Rating: 10

Pros:

Extremely sturdy, great height, accomodates large cameras, pro-finish

Cons:

Heavy

This tripod is extremely sturdy. As the name implies, the fit and finish are professional grade. It reaches an impressive 72 + inches in height and can be set to a minimum height of just over 23". If you purchase an optional short center column, you can get the minimum height down to about 14 1/2".

A rotating scale at the base of the head makes it easy to set and keep track of exact shooting angles.

The top of each leg has a U-shaped angle adjustment lock which pulls out and then securely clicks into place to allow the legs to be independently set to one of three positions. The middle leg sections also have reference marks every 10 cm for making precise height adjustments. The center column features both upper and lower tension adjustment knobs. Once you have set the desired height, simply tighten these both down and the center column becomes rock solid. The amount of center column play can also be fine-tuned with an included allen wrench.

To aid in transport, the height adjustment crank folds over for a lower profile. The lower end of the center column also has a rubber ring to prevent the legs from getting scratched when the tripod is folded down.

At 10 + lbs, this is no lightweight. If you plan on using it outdoors, I would recommend a good bag, possibly with a shoulder strap, to carry it comfortably over long distances - that or enlist the help of a roadie.... On the plus side, you can laugh at the wind. I don't think you can find a more stable tripod. It's built like a tank and should last like one.